Heavy rain to cause flood watch in WNC over next two days

The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for 18 Western North Carolina counties, beginning Tuesday afternoon and lasting until Wednesday evening.

“A wedge of cool high pressure with widespread light rain over the Western Carolinas and Northeast Georgia will pull northeast today as a cold front approaches the area,” reads the weather announcement. “The cold front will push through the forecast area on Wednesday. Moderate to heavy rain will be expected along and just ahead of the front, with the highest rainfall totals expected across the mountains [and] the heaviest rates spreading northeast between midnight and noon on Wednesday.

“Rainfall amounts across the mountains and foothills are forecast to range generally between 2 and 3 inches, with up to 4 inches possible at higher elevations,” the report continues. “The area has received between 1 and 2 inches of rain the past day or so, and the additional moderate to heavy rain will lead to rises along area creaks, streams and rivers.”

For the next two days, Asheville is in for a 90 percent chance of rain with patchy fog throughout.

The high for Tuesday is 58 and the low is 52.

On Wednesday, rain is expected to be heavy at times, with a light wind. The high will be 55 degrees, and the cold front will bring the low to around 35 degrees in the city.

Thursday and Friday are expected to be mostly sunny, with highs in the upper 40s and a low of 32 degrees.

About Hayley Benton

Current freelance journalist and artist. Former culture/entertainment reporter at the Asheville Citizen-Times and former news reporter at Mountain Xpress. Also a coffee drinker, bad photographer, teller of stupid jokes and maker-upper of words. I can be reached at hayleyebenton [at] gmail.com. Follow me @HayleyTweeet

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